Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Join the Alliance: Getting more bang for your skiing bucks

Matt Gibbs taking in the view while using the Powder Alliance beneft at Bridger Bowl outside of Bozeman, Montana.

Three years since its inception to local skiers and boarders, the Powder Alliance is constantly growing. Currently, there are 15 resorts over nine states and three countries. Regionally, Schweitzer Mountain and Whitewater in British Columbia are among the elite list.

The basis of this "add-on" season-pass benefit is that you get three days* of skiing at partnering resorts with your unlimited pass if your home resort is in the program. This year, Kiroro in Japan was added, and that resort boasts some of the best snow on the planet.

Dig Chrismer, marketing manager at Schweitzer Mountain Resort, says “having the flexibility to get out an explore other mountains outside our region is fantastic.”
“We see a lot of people from Stevens Pass and Whitewater (at Schweitzer),” she continues. And where do Schweitzer pass holders access the Powder Alliance? “In the last two seasons alone, I’m aware of Schweitzer pass holders who have traveled to all of the resorts in the program.”

“It is definitely not the reason I have a pass at Schweitzer but it is a awesome added benefit that I didn’t realize would come in to play for me,” Gibbs says. “Over the course of all of the days I have used it, it has almost paid for my season pass at Schweitzer with the money I saved not buying lift tickets.”

At the time, Gibbs was on the road for work. “If I had a free day while traveling, and there was a resort on the list, it was a great way for me to ski at a mountain I wouldn’t normally go to.”